At least one business with links to South Bend is listed in a multimillion-dollar federal lawsuit filed by Allstate Insurance Company, alleging a fraudulent claims scheme involving chiropractors and attorneys in four states who preyed on car accident victims.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, Allstate said in a statement. The filing follows a lengthy investigation by the company into the practices of 66 parties to the suit, who allegedly participated in a scheme to lure people injured in auto accidents into medical services.

In addition to chiropractic offices, the suit names a telemarketing firm in Louisiana that promoted the services, law offices, and related services in Texas, Ohio, Alabama and Indiana.

Three clinics involved in the suit have operated in Indiana, or continue to do so. They are located in Indianapolis, Hammond and South Bend, the company said.

Allstate did not name the South Bend office included in the suit, which includes claims of violations under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as RICO.

The 67-page filing alleges that telemarketers misidentified themselves as representatives of Allstate or other insurance companies and promoted services at 29 different clinics in the four states.

The potential patients, Allstate claims, were then told they had significant injuries and either coerced or deceived into "a standardized and unnecessary treatment plan" the insurance company paid for.

Patients were then referred to personal injury law offices associated with the alleged scheme. Allstate says in some cases, staff from law offices came to the chiropractic clinics to acquire them as new clients.

The insurance company wants the fraudulent charges reimbursed. Under RICO law, the company can file for three times its damages amount, which along with legal costs comes to more than $10 million.

Allstate asks that anyone who knows anything about the scheme, or thinks they may have been victimized, to call the National Insurance Crime Bureau at (800) 835-6422.